The A. undertakes the study of the lexical unity casa (house, abode), as registered by the main dictionaries of the Portuguese language since the XVlllth-century. She discusses the original meanings of the lexical unity, the various syntagmatic groups within which it can be included and the variety and changes in semantic hues according to the different types and aims of the abade. She argues that lexicographical researches should be used as a contributory tool for the study of socio-cultural transformations.
Habitation; House; Lexicography; Portuguese language dictionaries; Material culture